1st Literature Review
Motivation and Productivity in the Workplace
By Carla Valencia
This was a very interesting article that highlighted the possible reasons of low motivation of employees and suggestions of targeting this issue.
I decided to use this article even though it doesn't speak exclusively about performers. The reason why I chose it is because through the arguments,facts and opinions raised, I can still relate to the overall view of the issue in the Performing Arts and I can also compare the similarities and differences within the two workplaces.
- Motivation emerges, in current theories, out of needs, values, goals, intentions, and expectation.
- Managing motivation is a requirement for productivity.
- Although motivation is an important determinator of individual performance, it is not the only factor. Such variables as ability, experience, and environment also influence performance.
This proposed research is needed to improve employees' performance at the workplace, to retain employees and to help companies establish a good image.
If you think about it in the performing arts business, is about improving our performing skills, retaining our skills and establishing a good image in the industry. Therefore there is no difference from any other type of job, our target is success.
Research Questions
- Is money enough to motivate employees?
- Why do employers not recognise all their employees at the same level?
- What specifically will motivate employees to perform at their peak?
- How can employers implement or improve incentive systems in the workplace?
- How does motivation impact an employee's productivity?
- How do employees respond to different incentives?
- Why can't every employee perform at his or her best?
- Do employees lose enthusiasm about the company, and therefore become less motivated?
From the performer's point of view these could be similar questions that might rise; especially after graduating as is more likely to worry about when you'll get your first job, and how you'll support yourself financially.
Another issue is that some performers stay in the same mindset that they had before graduating. Of course teachers we'll have their favourites and there will always be those students that get to be the lead in every show. GET OVER IT you graduated! See it as a tough process you had to go through in order to become stronger and more determined. Now you'll be able to handle rejection much easier in the real business than if you were that ''favourite'' student.
Research done in both psychology and business literature over the past three decades has recorded that motivation varies as a function of different factors in the work environment, including evaluation expectation, actual performance feedback, reward, autonomy, and the nature of the work itself.
When employees have high autonomy, receive feedback about their performance, and have an important, identifiable piece of work to do which requires skill variety, they may experience feelings of happiness and therefore intrinsic motivation to keep performing well (Hackmam & Oldham, 1980).
Herzberg's (1966) motivator-hygiene theory has been one of the most influential in recent decades. Basically, the theory divides motivating factors into two categories: Motivator factors, which have something to do with the work itself, and Hygiene factors, which have something to do with the surrounding context.
Motivator factors include such things as responsible work, independence in doing the work, and satisfaction arising from the completion of challenging tasks. Hygiene factors include pay, security, and general working conditions. According to Frederick Herzberg, hygiene factor operate primarily as de-motivators if they are not sufficient. He suggests that workers are most satisfied and most productive when their jobs are rich in the motivator factor. When the work is interesting, he suggests can be accomplished by the job enrichment.
One psychological view suggests that very high levels of intrinsic motivation are marked by such strong interest and involvement in the work, and by such a perfect match of task complexity with skill level, that people experience some kind of psychological "flow," a sense of merging with the activity they are doing (Csikszentmihalyi 1975).
Individuals are intrinsically motivated when they seek enjoyment, interest, satisfaction of curiosity, self-expression, or personal challenge in the work. Individuals are extrinsically motivated when they engage in the work in order to obtain some goal that is apart from work itself.
The behavior of people in their jobs is more than play on words. Herzberg said that two different kinds of human beings are involved here. One set of needs is the built-in drive to avoid pain from the environment and the all the learned drives that become conditioned to the basic biological needs. For example, hunger, a basic biological drive makes its necessary to earn money, and then money becomes a specific drive. The other set of needs relates to that unique human characteristic, the ability to achieve and, through achievement, experience psychological growth.
Psychologist A. H. Maslow was a University professor and a frequent contributor to professional journals organized human needs on five general levels in his book called Motivation and Personality. In ascending order these are:
- Physiological needs such as food, water, sex, and shelter.
- Safety needs such as protection
- Social needs such as belonging, and acceptance.
- Ego needs such as achievement, status, and appreciation.
- Self-actualization needs such as the need to realize one's potential.
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